


Under the moonlight till the sun rises

by isola13



Category: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Book 2: Crooked Kingdom Spoilers, F/M, Post-Book 2: Crooked Kingdom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:08:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28328757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isola13/pseuds/isola13
Summary: Inej returns to Ketterdam. Kaz is waiting.
Relationships: Kaz Brekker/Inej Ghafa
Comments: 3
Kudos: 59





	Under the moonlight till the sun rises

**Author's Note:**

> post crooked kingdom Kanej reunion, if you were looking for that.

It’s been 57 days.

Not that he’s counting.

Inej can walk around hidden in the shadows, but even she can’t sneak in a whole ship in the harbor without anyone noticing. And just one notice is enough for Kaz.

In his mind's eye, the gray misty air greets  _ the Wraith _ lazily in the harbor and Kaz pictures her leading the crew outside and maybe, one or two prisoners on the way. Head high, breathing in the dampness of the city from the morning rain that scattered the grounds.

57 days and the air is still full of the harbor, the noise and the scent inescapable even in the depths of narrow streets. Chaos and order both existing side by side. The incongruity hidden in indentures and trade, money and slavery. Ketterdam is annoyingly the same on the outside, despite the changes that are erupting in the corners of the maze-like city. Wylan and Jesper are one thing. They’re managing Wylan’s new Van Eck Empire well, and Kaz knows he doesn’t need to check up on them. He just does. Of course, it’s his hands that give a little push and pull here and there among the changes.

This is his city, and Kaz doesn’t mind the change, not at all.

But the Wraith’s lack of presence hangs on the air as loudly as she was quiet once.

At least, that’s what it feels like to him. The others, he guesses not.

He wonders if Inej can sense the change in the air as she breathes in, despite the ever present mist and low clouds guarding her sights. He hopes she does. 

  
  


That night, Kaz takes residence at the top of the Slat. It’s been 57 days and the dust greets him before the memories do. He brushes both of them off before leaning his cane on the desk and settling down, waiting.

As usual, or the way it was usual 83 days before, Inej perches on the windowsill. 

The first time Inej had come back 57 days ago, Kaz had locked himself up in this room. He knew Jesper and Wylan had come to the harbor to greet Inej themselves. Exchanging stories, catching up on each other, maybe some news from Nina if Inej had passed by Ravka. 

Kaz had asked her to return, and she did.

Now, he slowly peels his gloves off in the dark, like a ritual. He can feel her gaze, steady and strong. She is still the Wraith he had known. If she made the climb, she must not be injured. 

Kaz breaks the silence first. “What business?”

“Five in total. Three in one ship from Novyi Zem. One that left from Ketterdam. One from Shu.”

“Casualties?”

“One from mine. Elain, badly injured in the leg but would survive. One of the Zemini had caught him. I took care of the Zemini myself. The rest returned to their lands captured.”

“The Ketterdam one was returned?”

“I know what you’re thinking, Kaz. But this one had forged indenture papers, I recognized it. He would receive his punishments.”

“But not from the slavery itself.”

Inej drops from the window, feet a mere feather falling on the ground. She drinks in the moonlight, half a shadow in the room. “He will be punished. I do not take lives unnecessarily.”

“Your saints forbid it?”

“ _ I _ forbid it, Kaz.”

Kaz vividly remembers what Inej had said about shadows. It seems she was doing well in handling them. Was Kaz allowing his shadow to grow? Maybe. Maybe not. Without Inej by his side, sometimes he can’t tell apart his actions anymore.

“Yours?” Inej asks.

“Tatian Bridge was mysteriously accused of theft from his fellow neighbor, Klaus Leet. Further investigations showed he forged names and papers to acquire lands and property and thus a whole bunch of kruge definitely not his. Arrested and awaiting trial.”

“Mysteriously accused, hmm?”

“I have my ways.”

Inej smiles, faintly, and knowing that he earned it makes it all worthwhile. Never breaking eye contact, she almost lazily approaches him, till only the desk separates them. Silently, Inej holds out her hand. 

Kaz stands and takes the hand, slowly. He is aware of the slight shake, to the tips of his fingers and Inej would be a fool not to notice it. Still, he holds the hand with reverence, just his forefinger and thumb skimming her hand, not enough but more than enough, and raises it to his lips to brush a kiss.

“Welcome back to Ketterdam.”

Inej’s smile is bright enough to pierce through all the mist hung like a cloak around the city. 

* * *

  
  


The dawn is almost upon the Kerch when Inej opens the letters.

Kaz had gone down to check upon the Crow Club after their long discussions of the sea and the Kerch and their crew. It almost feels like the old times. The old times were definitely not perfect or good for her, but it doesn’t mean she regrets it. Inej misses it, sometimes. Being a storm as a full-time job, coming home once in a while to settle down her winds doesn’t hurt at all. The long silence that rests upon the eye of the storm, that both of them are comfortable in, where they both understand each other perfectly, breathes a relief into her veins.

Minus the gloves, Kaz is the same. Same clothes, same face, same office even though she can feel he didn’t touch any of the stuff here for a long time. Though Inej doesn’t dwell on it too long, she knows that ever since their last heist, Kaz didn’t come up here anymore.

Which is why a small envelope tucked in the corner of the desk, very white against the shadows, caught her eye the moment she jumped from the windowsill. 

Despite the lack of spy work needed in the middle of the sea, months as the member of the Dregs didn’t go away easily. Especially when you were the spy for the Bastard of the Barrel. You learned the city like the back of your hand so that when a piece goes amist, you immediately jump into it. 

But she frowns even as Kaz leaves the room. It isn’t like Kaz at all to leave new things around like this. She knows that there is a reason behind it. A test? To see if she would notice something new around here? Or if she would leave it behind?

It’s ridiculous. Kaz knows she wouldn’t not notice it. And after seeing it, he knows she wouldn’t snoop around. He made her into a spy that she was. The informant. His secrets. Gathered from her hands.

She lifts the paperweight gingerly off the envelope, and slowly unfolds the letter.

  
  


_ Inej, _

_ I know you’re faring well without me but I am thinking about the last time I saw you under the moonlight till the sun rose again. And I’m counting down the days till the next. _

  
  


_ Inej, _

_ I sometimes wonder if I’m the one holding you down. _

_ Is it possible for a person to give you a freedom you deserve but also hold you down? _

_ I can give you a ship, a crew, a life you deserve but a life with me tied to you would never give you peace. _

  
  


_ Inej, _

_ I always knew your presence, but with you fighting in the sea, my biggest fear is selfishly not you dying, but you dying and me not aware of it. _

_ The world shouldn’t be the same without you, and it would be too cruel for me not to know. _

  
  


_ Inej, _

_ I hope the sea is well and the ship sails true. _

_ But I am not a good person, which is why I hope it sails here soon. _

  
  


He never sent it but…

But.

It’s like he wants her to find them.

Inej folds the letter back, the way it was, and hides them inside the envelope once more although the words are already burned into her mind. It won’t be easy to forget, when she will not try to.

She knows he had plenty of opportunities to send it. But if he doesn’t want to send it, then let it be. 

  
  


* * *

The moment Kaz enters the room, he feels Inej gone.

Even without looking at the windows or the shadows lurking in the corners, he knows she’s gone. Faint glow of sunlight replaced his Wraith in the room. As silent as she came. As silent as she came to his world. Silent, but not invisible. Inej has an eerie aura that Kaz can’t help but notice.

The similar eerie feeling washes over him as he pauses and his eyes stray to the letters on the desk, held down by a simple paperweight. It’s the same as before but a new, folded piece of paper rests atop of them.

Hands bare, he opens it.

_ I’ll see you again under the moonlight till the sun rises again. _


End file.
